Meal Prep: Why You Should Pack a Lunch
You glance at the clock and realize that it is almost lunchtime. “Yes!” you exclaim, as you begin to think about your lunch options, and then quickly realize that your enthusiasm might have been a bit premature. The lunch options surrounding your office building are less than ideal—a pizza joint, a greasy fast-burger restaurant, and a smoothie place where the first ingredient is an ice cream base.
As you start considering what you want to eat to power you through the rest of your work day, you realize that none of these lunch options contain the super foods that not only boost energy (without a major sugar crash), but also make you feel like your best self. Maybe you have been making it a priority to hit the gym before heading to work in the morning, and fueling with junk foods won’t allow for you to maintain your healthier lifestyle. Or maybe, you begin noticing how much money you could be saving if you didn’t eat out everyday during your lunch hour.
It may be time to start thinking about bringing lunch to work. However, the phrase ‘sack lunch’ tends to carry the connotation of a smashed peanut butter sandwich and random foods found in the cupboard. This does not have to be your meal! You can prepare fresh foods that not only taste great, but also travel well and make you feel good about what you are eating.
But does this mean that you then have to spend time doing the dreaded ‘meal prep’ to create these magical meals? The Marc Pro team has the short answer—yes. Meal prep does take some time to do, however, if you get in the habit of carving a small amount of time out of your Sunday schedule, then you can have amazing lunches for the week that can keep you on track for your own personal weight and fitness goals. Meal prep does not need to be all encompassing and overly time consuming, but it can allow for you to make smart choices about what you are eating on a regular basis.
4 Meal Prep Options
Some fast and easy lunch prep ideas can include:
- Chickpea Lunchbox Spread- this vegan recipe can allow you to get your protein in while delighting your taste buds.
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwich- looking for a savory lunch? Look no further than this crockpot chicken sandwich.
- Easy Lasagna Soup- on a cold winter day, nothing hits the spot more than a tasty bowl of hearty soup.
- Asian Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps- tasty wraps with a flavor explosion? Yes please!
These and many more lunch recipes can be found through this link.
Meal prep can be fun for the whole family to jump into and make into a weekly tradition. You can create healthy meals to fuel your day, increase your recovery, and make you feel more energized throughout the day. Do you have a favorite ‘sack lunch’ that you make? Share with the Marc Pro team on Twitter or Instagram.